


She's My Serpentine

by eringilbert



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Coming Out, Depression, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Healthy Relationships, Rating will change, Self-Acceptance, Sexual Assault, Slow Burn, some fluff some hurt/comfort overall im doing everything with this lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-05 10:04:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11011200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eringilbert/pseuds/eringilbert
Summary: With Mazuu on the loose and getting further and further ahead of her, Noodle has found herself hopeless in her new life. However, after a chance encounter in an Tokyo alleyway, she finds herself falling deeper and deeper for a bright scholar. Can this new love motivate her to finally conquer her inner and outer demons once and for all?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh geez so this is my first Gorillaz fanfic. I originally wasn't gonna publish this because a lot of ships regarding Noodle are...questionable but then alas! I realized that gives me an even stronger reason to publish this! Anyways, a lot of characters in this are my own but I don't own anyone or anything else.
> 
> Big thanks to Kiki for helping me sort out this story and for listening to all my ideas! You're the best ily.
> 
> Anyways, don't hesitate to comment below for statements and critiques! I hope you enjoy :)

Fuji Rock was always one of the most electrifying music festivals in the world. It was especially important to Noodle, since it gave her the chance to perform in her home country. Granted, every Japan show was special for that reason, but she loved performing there. The crowds were always some of the most energetic that Gorillaz had ever experienced. Tonight was no exception.

They were currently doing "Kids With Guns", which Noodle was backing with her lips nearly touching the microphone. The crowd was jumping up and down as they sang cheerfully about gun control. It was nearing the end of the song, and that meant Noodle's closing chords. As she began to play, she walked around the stage and scanned the audience. The crowd was going wild. That's when she saw it.

A dark skinned Japanese woman with short bleached blonde hair and a jean jacket with multiple round pins. Multicolored hair clips were becoming useless at holding back loose strands of hair as she danced with the crowd. It looked as if she was also in the prevalent moshpit at some point, since she had the beginnings of a bruise on her cheek. They locked eyes, and Noodle almost fucked up her chords in the process. The girl chuckled and put her hand to her mouth. She had four words tattooed on her left hand, and that's when Noodle finally realized who this woman was. 

Yasuko.

**

Mazuu was getting further and further from her reach. Every hint, every clue, they all came up useless. It was all her fault. If she just didn't fucking set it loose on accident!

Noodle began walking back to her apartment. She had been at the bar for a couple of hours, drinking and pondering about this whole ordeal. The small woman was easily intoxicated due to her size, so she decided to leave before she made a big mistake. Plus, she always believed that Tokyo was so beautiful at night. The neon lights illuminated every crack and corner of the city. Even in the late hours of the evening, locals and tourists alike roamed the streets excitedly.

She heard some muffled English coming from an alleyway. Being the curious person she was, Noodle decided to investigate. As she walked closer, the talking grew to shouting. There she saw them, two white Americans harassing a Japanese woman. She kept telling them to go away to no avail.

"Come on, baby? Aren't you all supposed to love white dick?" one of the guys yelled as he tried cornering the girl. She was hitting him with her bag, unable to get away. That was when Noodle decided to take action.

"What are you guys doing?" she called out. The two men reverted their attention from the girl to Noodle with the same demeanor.

"Oh man, Jeremy," one of them said. "Look what we have here. Now it's a foursome! Maybe we can swing-"

His sentence was cut off by Noodle kneeing him in the crotch. He doubled over, gasping for air. Jeremy, his apparent sidekick, ran over and swung the other man's arm across his elbows.

"I-I'm so sorry, ma'am," Jeremy said as they hurried off. Noodle was surprised it took that little for them to leave. Normally, men would retaliate, but perhaps they were too drunk to try. The more, the better.

Noodle walked towards the girl slowly. She was standing on the wall, trying to catch her breath. As she got closer, she could see that she was crying.

"Hey, hey, hey," Noodle said steadily. "It's okay. Those guys are gone now."

The girl looked at Noodle. She was absolutely beautiful. She had plump lips and dark skin that was illuminated the city lights. 

"Thank you," the girl said in a low voice and smiled. "My name's Yasuko. Yasuko Crawley," she added as she quickly outstretched her hand. Noodle grabbed her hand and shook it. Her skin was incredibly soft. That's when it dawned on her; she didn't really have a last name either. Ever since she was informally adopted, they never attempted to figure out whose surname should go to her. She thought about her last moments seeing the band. Who was she with?

"Noodle Hobbs," she finally said after a few seconds. She hoped Russel wouldn't mind. "Do you need someone to walk you home?" She realized how weird that sounded. "I mean, it's kinda late out." She laughed weakly for no reason. Noodle cursed at herself for being so embarrassing in her head.

"Well, I could certainly use your bodyguard skills just in case," Yasuko replied. She began walking out of the alley, and Noodle began to catch up. She tripped and stumbled on a soda can. Yasuko laughed but helped her up. 

As they walked around Tokyo, they began to talk. "So, Crawley isn't exactly a local name," Noodle said. "Are you from around here? You obviously know where you're going."

"Yeah," Yasuko replied. "You see, my dad is American and he was stationed at Yokosuka. My mom lived over there and worked at a restaurant that a lot of servicemen went to on their lunch break. One day, my pops came in and my mom took his order."

"And I'm guessing the rest is history?" Noodle chuckled. Yasuko nodded.

"They actually live near Ueno Park now. Have ever since my dad retired. They have a restaurant over there now that is getting quite popular. It's Southern soul food meets traditional Japanese delicacies!" Yasuko pinched her fingers to her lips and blew out a loud "mwah!" as if she was a Parisian chef. Noodle laughed. She was beginning to feel more and more close to her, and they only met minutes ago.

"I was adopted when I was really young," Noodle sighed. It wasn't a lie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Yasuko the truth just yet, if ever. "Not sure where my real parents are, but I decided to come back here to try and make a living for myself."

Yasuko frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, but honestly that sounds great! Guess you were sheltered?"

Noodle hesitated before answering that. After some thinking, she settled on, "Well, I had an unconventional childhood, let's just say that." Suddenly, Yasuko's arm stopped her. 

"This is my apartment building. Maybe we can hang out again sometime? I really liked talking to you," Yasuko said.

Noodle nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yeah, lemme just get some-" she started as she was once again stopped by an arm.

"No, no, no," Yasuko said as she grabbed a small notepad and a pen from her purse. She began scribbling down something before tearing it out and handing it to Noodle. "Here's my phone number. Just let me know when you're available and I'll see if I can make it. Stay safe and thank you so much again!" she said as she entered the building.

Noodle looked around. Turns out, her apartment building was right across the way. Damn, she was too engrossed in talking to Yasuko that she wasn't even paying attention to where she was going. She looked at the piece of paper, a tightness becoming more relevant in her stomach than ever.

Well, shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle and Yasuko go for a walk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I can't believe I'm already getting kudos and comments? Thank you so much!!! I have so many ideas for this fic you guys have NO idea. Can't wait to show you guys more!
> 
> By the way, not to spoil the chapter, but the song mentioned is "I Can Change". And yes, I am fully aware that they are together again and I am hyped up as hell! Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

"Noodle? Noodle where are you?" a voice echoed in total darkness. The voice grew louder as it said, "Noodle please! Please come home!" Suddenly the voice grew distorted, almost demonic sounding. "NOODLE! WE NEED YOU!"

She woke up with a start. Sweat was nearly pouring from every place on her body. Noodle sat upright on her mat as she tried steadying her breathing. The clock laying on the floor next to her read 7:25. Time to get ready for the day. Although she was given paid leave from her boss to track Mazuu down, she still felt it customary to wake up fairly early.

She got up and walked into her bathroom. It was the first time in a while that Noodle actually looked at herself carefully in her bathroom mirror. Her hair was longer than it ever has been, almost reaching the middle of her stomach. Although she was only twenty three, dark circles already were clearly formed underneath her eyes. She looked like a cocoon of the young, vibrant guitar player from the self titled album. Discarded. Worthless. Pathetic.

After washing her face and quickly brushing then throwing her hair in a ponytail, Noodle walked to her kitchen. Her Keurig was malfunctioning again. After hitting it a couple of times, her coffee finally started brewing. She grabbed a box of cigarettes from her messy counter and lit one up. Once her coffee was ready, she walked out onto her balcony. The streets were even busier than last night. Everyone in the city was going to work, a friend's house, just going somewhere. They all had purpose in their treks. Purpose that Noodle was slowly losing.

As she took another drag of her cigarette, she thought about the band. Did they know where she was? Did they even care? She knew that Russel was probably worried sick about her. As she drifted off that chaotic afternoon, she could've sworn she heard him humming some American song. She then thought about 2D, that lovable asshole. She figured that he was upset, but probably was preoccupying himself with some bizarre activity.

Then, she thought about Murdoc. Oh Satan, Murdoc. Noodle had thought that maybe it was all his fault that she was separated from them during the El Mañana incident. But she still wasn't sure. He was the most vile, disgusting, just overall weird person she had ever met. Then again, she only truly knew the three men who happened to open her FedEx box that faithful day.

She finished her coffee, finished her cigarette in the ashtray, and went inside. She decided to grab her phone. After Yasuko gave her her number, Noodle put it in her phone before drifting off to sleep. As she picked out her clothes, she gave her a call.

"Hello?" Yasuko asked.

"Hey, it's me Noodle," she replied as she squirmed her way through a Libertines t-shirt.

"Oh hi, Noodle! How are you?" Yasuko said happily. 

"I'm doing great," Noodle answered. "Hey, are you free any time today? I was thinking of, oh SHIT-" As she was putting on jeans, she tripped and fell, causing her phone to bounce onto her bed. As she scrambled to pick it up, she was grateful to see that it wasn't broken.

"Are you okay?" asked Yasuko worryingly. Noodle could almost hear the cringe through the phone.

"Yeah I'm fine," she hurriedly replied. "So anyways, I have the day off today so I was wondering if you wanted to go out or something?"

Yasuko paused, probably looking at a calendar. "Actually, I'm off today too! I don't have any classes until later tonight! Where do you live?"

"Actually, it turns out that I live in the building right across from you!" Noodle chuckled yet again. Why did she keep chuckling? What was so funny?

"Oh wow! Ok I'll be right down!" Yasuko replied. They both said their goodbyes and hung up. Noodle scrambled to her bathroom once again to brush her teeth and put on the tiniest bit of eyeliner. She didn't understand why she was making such an effort to actually look decent for this woman. They only met a few hours ago! Why is this such a big deal!

She continued harping on these thoughts as she made her way downstairs. Yasuko was standing against a lightpole, wearing a stripped crop top and high waisted shorts. She waved enthusiastically and waited for Noodle to cross over. When she did, she gave her a hug.

“Hey Miss Superhero!” Yasuko exclaimed as she hugged Noodle. They both laughed and began to walk. Yasuko mentioned walking around the city, so that’s what they decided to do. They talked about each others’ lives. Apparently, Yasuko was studying at the University of Tokyo. She was about to graduate soon and she still planned on living in Tokyo.

“It’s just so amazing here!” she exclaimed as she looked around the sky. “I know that it’s chaotic and dangerous but I thrive in these kinds of environments.” 

“Yeah, I’m the same way. I can’t stand living in a small village!” Noodle replied. It was true; sometimes during her disappearance, she would find herself in quaint towns. She hated it. Although people were nicer in those environments, she just could not stand it. Too claustrophobic and bigoted.

Hours passed and the two girls became engrossed in their conversation. They talked about animals (they both preferred cats), studies (“Did you really fight a bunch of zombies? That’s so cool!” Yasuko exclaimed as Noodle told her the daring tale), and travels (“One country I have yet to go to is Iceland. I think that’d be nice” said Noodle. “It’s not. It’s very boring and cold,” Yasuko replied grimly.) The only place that they varied was their taste in music; while Noodle listened to a wide variety of genres and artists, Yasuko couldn’t help but listen exclusively to underground alternative rock and electronic music.

“Have you ever heard of LCD Soundsystem?” Yasuko said as they sat in Ueno Park, watching people of all backgrounds pass by. 

Noodle was dumbfounded. Guess it was time for her to catch up to the rest of the world. She shook her head, causing Yasuko to hurriedly grab her phone and earbuds out from her black leather purse. It had a Hello Kitty keychain on it. Once she untangled her earbuds, she got her phone off of sleep mode and ran the Music app. Yasuko gave Noodle an earbud, telling her to put it in.

“God, you’re going to love this,” Yasuko said as she pressed play.

All kinds of synthetic beats began bouncing around in Noodle’s ear. She began tapping her foot as a man’s voice, slightly pained but still soulful started singing. The entire world started to slowly melt. She turned to Yasuko, whose eyes were closed and she was swaying. She was lip syncing with the man’s voice, obviously knowing the lyrics by heart. However, one particular lyric stuck to her.

“This is why I fell in love.”

As the rest of the song continued, Noodle kept listening more closely to the lyrics. It was filled with lyrics about the man being in love with the woman, or man, or whoever the song was about. Why did Yasuko pick this particular song? 

The song ended and Yasuko was put out of her trance. She took back the earbud she gave to Noodle and smiled at her.

“GOD, I love them,” she sighed. “Too bad they broke up before I was able to see them.” She seemed sad at this; it was clear that this LCD Soundsystem meant a lot to her. 

Noodle put a hand on her shoulder. “Well, maybe they’ll get back together! Bands do it all the time,” she reassured her.

“They broke up three years ago. I doubt it,” she said before changing the topic.

“But enough about nostalgia! How did you like it?” Yasuko asked enthusiastically. 

She wanted to say that she didn’t understand why she chose that song. Out of all the songs that they could possibly have, there must be multiple ones not about love and changing for love. There must be something Yasuko was trying to tell her. The only question was, what was it?

“The song was lovely! The vocalist sounds a little familiar though. Who is it?” Noodle decided to ask instead.

Yasuko beamed. “Oh, his name is James Murphy!” Noodle thought she heard the name somewhere. Maybe Murdoc mentioned wanting to collaborate with him? As she told Yasuko that she loved the song yet again, she jumped up.

“Come on!” Yasuko said. “I have somewhere to show you!” Noodle got up from the bench and walked with her. It didn’t take them long to reach their destination, a small building with the words ‘TEMPURA TEMPTATIONS: AMERICAN AND JAPANESE FUSION’ blaring across a sign. This must be the restaurant that Yasuko’s parents owned. The two walked inside and were greeted by a tall Japanese woman.

“YASUKO! My darling!” she said as she left her hostess stand to hug Yasuko. Noodle thought that this must be her mother. 

“And you must be Noodle!” Yasuko’s mother said as she bowed. “Yasuko told us all about you! Thank you so much for helping our daughter,” she added excitedly.

Noodle bowed back. “It was no trouble-“

“Asami,” Yasuko’s mother said. “Please call me Asami!” She turned to Yasuko, whispering something before running towards the kitchen. The two girls stood and looked at each other before Yasuko beckoned Noodle to sit down at an empty booth. Soon afterwards, an African American man came out with Yasuko’s mother. They were around the same height, which Noodle found to be absolutely adorable. He bowed towards Noodle. “My name is Gregory. Thank you so much for helping our daughter last night!” he said just as excitedly. “This meal will be on us. What would you like?” After the two ordered, both of Yasuko’s parents hurried back into the kitchen.

“I think they like you,” Yasuko laughed. “They would like to talk to you, but they’re kinda busy as you can see. They’ll be able to pay back our meals with the amount of people they get daily!”

Noodle said, “I didn’t even think about that but that’s great to know!” The meals were brought out quickly, as if they were top on the Crawley family’s priority. It was absolutely delicious. They left the restaurant, but only just after-“

“SHIT!” Yasuko exclaimed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot I had a study group session in fifteen minutes at the library!”

“Oh, it’s fine! Don’t worry I know all the bus routes. I can easily get a bus back to my apartment.” Noodle reassured Yasuko. At this, the other woman began to jog eastward.

“Thank you so much. I had a lot of fun today!” she called out as she got further and further away. Noodle waved back. She began walking to the nearby bus stop, pausing to look at the bus times. Fuck. The next bus to her apartment will take two hours. Instead of sitting outside the booth, Noodle decided to walk around Ueno Park again, pondering Yasuo’s behavior. Did she just really like the song, or was she falling in love with Noodle? Well, they only met yesterday. Then again, Noodle felt those strange sensations.

And like clockwork, they came again. She thought about how at peace Yasuko looked listening to the song, how graceful she looked as she ran, how pretty she looked when she laughed. That’s when Noodle realized it.

She was indeed falling in love. Even after a day. Maybe that’s a sign.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle thinks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really important chapter to me. I think you'll see why.

It took about four tries for Noodle to unjam her front door. After the fourth and rather aggressive try, she nearly broke the door nearly flying into the apartment with all her might. God, what a day she had. She needed some whiskey and a cigarette, pronto.

She stumbled into the kitchen, which was cluttered with dishes, empty food containers, and general garbage. Noodle hadn’t been in the mood to clean it for ages, mostly because she was either too occupied with her work with tracking down Mazuu or she just did not want to. There have been days where Noodle could not even get up from her bed, let alone muster enough energy to clean her apartment. Depression was quite the bitch.

After setting up her nightly glass of whiskey, she walked to her bedroom and sat on her bed. She reached into her purse, which was still hanging on her shoulder, and grabbed a box of cigarettes and a bedazzled lighter. As the blaze from the lighter set flame to the cigarette, she briefly thought about the prospect of getting cancer. After all, nicotine was supposed to be a huge cause of all kinds of cancer. At this point in her life, Noodle couldn’t bring herself to care about whether or not she fucking died.

Wait.

There was Yasuko.

Although they had only known each other for such a short period of time, Noodle had suddenly felt like life was at least a little bit useful. No, scratch that; Yasuko made Noodle’s life worth living. She didn’t feel like her life depended on the other girl, but her presence gave something to live for. Something to continue her battle with Mazuu for. 

Hold on.

What did this all mean? Noodle never gave love a chance. Well, perhaps that wasn’t the right phrasing for it. Love was just not something that came up in her mind. She never had any particular crushes while in the band. The program she was trained in didn’t exactly help matters either, as they strictly forbidden any kind of affection amongst the children. Yasuko was the first person she had a quote-on-quote “crush” on.

But what if this isn’t love? Rather, what if this is just a really strong feeling of friendship? Women are affectionate towards each other all the time. They say that they love each other, they hug, hell they even kiss and it’s strictly platonic. Noodle took another drag of her cigarette. God, this was stressful.

She began thinking back to her time in the band. The boys would have groupies and fans backstage with them all the time. They, with the exception of Russel, would take turns shagging and snogging the women. Some weren’t particularly attractive, but some were gorgeous. Noodle would oftentimes find herself aweing over some of the women who just so happened to sneak their way into their dressing rooms and buses. However, women weren’t the only ones mingling with the band. Many men also were included in what Russel called “meet and greet orgies” in a disappointed yet unaffected manner. Usually, they ended up with the female groupies or, if Murdoc was drunk enough, with him. But Noodle didn’t particularly...care for the men. Perhaps that sounded mean. She DID care for the men, but she never felt awe or admiration for them like she did for the women. She didn’t have any urges to talk to them or even look at them. 

She took another drag of her cigarette. That is when she realized it.

“Noodle Hobbs,” she began, “you are gay.”

She downed her whiskey, stomped on her cigarette, and marched to her bathroom. She looked at herself straight into the mirror, hands on the sink.

“Noodle Niccals,” she said to the mirror, changing up her last name in the process, “you are gay.” She began to grip onto the sink.

“Noodle Pot,” she continued with her pattern, “you are gay.” Her knuckles began to turn white. Tears started to form in her eyes, but she was far from sad.

That’s when she began to cry. Her hands suddenly lost their grip and flung back to her sides. Multitudes of memories came flooding back to her: memories of stealing Playboy magazines to look at the naked women, memories of watching YouTube videos on how to attract women, memories of following the female groupies around. All she could look at was her feet. Here she was, twenty three years old, only just now realizing the one thing she was missing in herself. She had known every little nook and cranny about her psyche until now.

Noodle slowly looked back up to the mirror. Her eyes were beginning to turn red from the crying and her neck hurt like hell. She wiped the tears from her eyes, saying slowly, “Noodle, you are gay. You are a gay woman. You are a lesbian. You love girls, and that is perfectly okay.” She sighed, then chuckled, then laughed. They were laughs of relief, of realization, of self-assurance. 

‘You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re okay,” she repeated to herself as she continued to laugh. Soon, she was getting tired so she decided to retire to her bed. She drifted off to sleep easier than ever before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yasuko needs to talk with Noodle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Over 100 hits and 11 kudos? Thank you guys! Also I'd love to give a quick shoutout to russdoc on tumblr for rec'ing this. The way you promote this fic means so much, and I'm so #blessed to be the recipient of such honors haha. So, this is a fun little chapter. Stay for the ending!

They were sitting at the Ueno Park again, just like that day. Only this time, it was only them. No sounds of traffic, no people walking, nothing. Just the two of them, alone, at last. 

Yasuko’s long curly hair was partily hidden by a beanie. The black hat complemented her simplistic outfit of a black-and-white stripped shirt and jeans. Noodle, meanwhile, had her hair pulled up while wearing a bright red shirt and multi-colored leggings. She never thought she had these kinds of clothes, but nonetheless she didn’t mind wearing them. But for what reason? 

These thoughts left Noodle’s mind as Yasuko began to talk. “So, you wanted to ask me something, huh?” she said in a deadpan voice most unlike her normally cheery tone. She was staring intently at a tree. Its branches swayed silently with the wind.

Noodle gulped. “Uh, yeah,” she said, “yeah I wanted to tell you something.”

Yasuko turned her head to look directly into her eyes. The branches began to tap lightly against each other. “What?” she asked. Noodle smiled.

“I thought a lot about it last night,” she began as the tapping grew louder. “About myself, I mean. And I think you should be the first person to know about this!” Yasuko waved her hand back and forth, urging her to continue. The tapping was now almost hauntingly loud, loud enough to make Noodle lose focus of what she was trying to do.

“Yasuko,” Noodle yelled over the tapping, “I’m a lesbian.”

The branches snapped and fell to the grass. 

Yasuko’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open. Strangely enough, she started shaking. Noodle went closer to her on the bench, gently reaching out a hand towards the trembling woman.

“Hey,” Noodle asked fearfully, “are you okay?” Yasuko closed her eyes and started coughing.

“You fucking bitch,” an unnaturally deepened voice coming from Yasuko said. “You think that was the most of your problems? You think you would be loved?” it taunted before bellowing “DID YOU?” so loudly that the entire ground shook. There was a crack that formed right below the park bench. Noodle grabbed onto the handles of the bench, eyes widened and skin pale. The ground below began to split open, unleashing a chorus of screams and yells from the dark, disgusting ground. Yasuko, or rather this projection of Yasuko, stood up and opened her eyes, revealing blood red spheres that looked nothing like any eye Noodle had ever seen before.

“Do you hear that?” the voice asked. “That’s the sound of people like you.”

With that, the ground separated further. The projection of Yasuko jumped off the bench just as it began to fall deep, deep underground. During this, Yasuko suddenly transformed into the one thing that could’ve been able to cause this destruction: Mazuu. As she fell, Noodle screamed more than she had ever screamed in her life. The ground soon became total darkness and the bench was no longer underneath her. She kept falling, falling, falling, into total and utter….nothingness.

A buzz sounded.

Noodle jerked awake. Just to make sure she was not still dreaming, she felt her surroundings carefully. Soft fabric. Hardwood floor. Cold, but not terribly cold. 

Okay, this was reality. 

The buzzing came from her phone. Noodle reached over from her bed to grab it. The screen showed a notification from Yasuko. As Noodle unlocked her phone, she read that she was asking if she wanted to hang out again today. She turned her phone off.

During her routine of coffee and cigarettes, Noodle’s head raced with all kinds of thoughts. Thoughts about Yasuko. Thoughts about Yasuko’s reaction to finding out she was a lesbian. Thoughts about anyone else’s reaction to finding out she was a lesbian. But most prominent of all, thoughts about Mazuu. God, how could she let herself get distracted from him?

That was when she decided to immerse herself back into her work. She couldn’t let Mazuu just go throughout the city, causing terror wherever he goes. For weeks on end, Noodle left her apartment only for food, whiskey, and cigarette reconsumption. 

But unbeknownst to her, this was not caused purely because of the demon. Rather, she was scared and yet too stuck-up and stubborn to admit it. That dream, or rather nightmare, of Mazuu in Yasuko’s form calling her a bitch and essentially sending her to hell shook her up more than she could ever admit. Although she knew for a fact that Yasuko wasn’t actually Mazuu trying to seduce her (because ew), the nightmare brought up a horrible possibility; Yasuko might not be accepting towards her. In Noodle’s mind, it was better for her to just break off contact and pray Yasuko wouldn’t notice than to potentially ruin their relation-oops, rather ACQUAINTANCEship.

However, Yasuko did notice.

Noodle learned this the hard way when shopping for whiskey. She was staring at the shelves of alcohol, carefully examining each and every label to make sure she’s grabbing the right brand. However, she almost dropped said right brand as she suddenly heard “Long time no see, jerk-off!” from directly behind her back. She turned quickly and faced a rather pissed off looking Yasuko with her arms crossed and her left foot tapping. From her body stance and facial expression, she was obviously upset.

The smaller Japanese girl gave a weak smile while holding onto her whiskey bottle firmly. “Hey, Yasuko,” she said, using her free hand to make a finger gun pointing to the other girl. Yasuko did not respond back. Rather, she slowly walked up to Noodle and said, “Pay for your fucking whiskey. I want to go to your apartment,” in a menacing voice that Noodle could never imagine her having. Nonetheless, Noodle couldn’t exactly refuse. Yasuko did have a good reason to be mad at her, so she proceeded to buy the whiskey. They spent the walk from the store to Noodle’s apartment in utter silence.

However, the confrontation began as soon as Noodle closed the door when they arrived. “I have constantly called and texted you every day for four weeks, and not a single acknowledgement?” she nearly yelled. “Not even leaving it on read? What was so important that you could just completely ignore a friend like that?”

“It was personal shit,” Noodle passively said, waving her hand as though the situation would disappear as soon as she said that.

“I thought we knew each other enough to let each other know when so-called personal shit happens,” Yasuko angrily rebutted.

“We’ve only known each other for a month at most, Yasuko,” Noodle replied. “It’s not like we knew each other from fucking birth!”   
However, Yasuko had apparently had enough. “YOU FUCKING SAVED MY LIFE, ASSHOLE!” she screamed before starting to choke up. “THE LEAST YOU COULD DO,” she continued as she walked up to a still Noodle, “IS ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU HOW GRATEFUL I AM!” 

They were standing directly in front of each other, their noses barely touching. Noodle felt Yasuko’s heavy breathing hit with her slower breaths and she could see the tears welling up in the other woman’s eyes. She looked at her as if she was the brightest and boldest star in the galaxy, but was trying to conceal it. Yasuko muttered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you an asshole, and I shouldn’t have been so possessive.” Her hand began lingering on top of Noodle’s as she added, “I just really like you, that’s all.”

Noodle’s eyes widened. “Yasuko,” she began slowly, “is there something going on between us?”

Yasuko smiled and replied in a faint whisper, “Only if you want something to happen.”

That’s when it all happened. Yasuko leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Noodle’s lips. The woman’s eyelids fluttered, having that be her first kiss ever. Yasuko giggled. Her giggles were interrupted by Noodle’s lips crashing onto her own. The kiss was rough, all teeth and slobber and every other gross thing about a kiss. But in it’s own right, it was perfect. 

After about ten seconds, Noodle pulled away, wiping her chin with her sleeve. “Oh God,” she said, ”I’m so sorry. That was my first kiss.” Yasuko cupped her left cheek in her hand. “It’s all good,” she replied. Noodle leaned her head deeper into the other woman’s hand, slowly closing her eyes in the process.

“Can you stay tonight?” she asked as she began melting into her skin.

“If you want, I will,” Yasuko replied. Noodle released herself and took Yasuko’s hand into her own. She took her into her living room, which had little to be desired save for a couch and a small television set. The two sat down, turned on the television, and forgot the world outside as they began their life together watching a dubbed version of Blade Runner in a dimly lit apartment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle and Yasuko take part in one of the most stressful landmarks in a relationship: lunch with the parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, there are many changes coming with this chapter. one of the most prominent is the change in rating. as shown in the newest tags, more mature and explicit themes will be discussed upon. not only that, but i must break the unfortunate news; the story will not last forever. ever since i began writing this fic, i had a specific beginning, middle, and end. after much planning and deliberation, i decided that ten chapters was appropriate for she's my serpentine. also, i apologize if my chapters become less frequent. i recently began interning at my local theatre and thats been taking up a lot of my time.
> 
> trigger warnings for non-descriptive r*pe discussions

“So, where exactly are we meeting them?” Noodle asked as she walked down the street with Yasuko. It was a big day for the two of them. After two months of dating, Yasuko’s parents decided to meet the two women for lunch. Despite having met before, this would be the first time Noodle would really get to know her girlfriend’s family.

“Oh, I believe a restaurant that a family friend owns,” responded Yasuko. “However, I can't exactly remember which friend it was,” she added. This prompted Noodle to lean over to give her a kiss her cheek, and also prompted some unwelcome glares from passerby. At first, the couple was nervous about showing affection in public. After all, Japan wasn't exactly the most LGBT friendly place in the world. However, they came to a realization after sex one time; if straight people are able to show affection without consequence, then non-straight people have the same right. Who cares if they get stared at or get called freaks? Love is love, and if love is the mutual affection between a lesbian and a bisexual woman, then so be it.

Yasuko suddenly halted in front of a black stone storefront. “Here it is!” she said enthusiastically. She grabbed Noodle’s hand and went inside. The restaurant was dark but thoroughly modern. There sat Yasuko’s parents sitting at a table and waiting for their guests. 

“Good afternoon, lovelies!” said Yasuko’s mother as they sat down. Both girls said good afternoon and began catching up. Yasuko had told them a few weeks ago that they began dating, to the total and utter non-surprise of them both. Although they were accepting, Noodle could see hidden uncomfortableness in their eyes as they talked. They were unsure of something, and Noodle found herself determined to figure out what. The moment she had been waiting for came when Yasuko excused herself to the washroom.

For a few seconds, Noodle began twiddling her thumbs. She wasn't sure how exactly to break the ice, but Yasuko’s father took care of that.

He breathed deeply. “Noodle,” he began, “I should admit that our daughter’s sexuality is a bit of a concern for us.”

Well this was going well so far.

“However, all we care about is that she’s happy,” he continued. Yasuko’s mother also interjected in the conversation, saying that “If you treat her well, then we’ll treat you just the same. And it certainly looks like you’re treating her well.” The couple both smiled and held each other’s hands as Yasuko arrived back from the bathroom. Shortly afterwards, their food arrived and conversations about politics, literature, and other hot topics were discussed. The couples began to split at the door, but Yasuko’s father decided to pull Noodle aside just before walking out.

He put a hand on Noodle’s shoulder and gave her a stern look. “Promise me,” he began, “that you’ll treat her like a queen.” Noodle nodded and smiled. “Of course I will,” she said. Seemingly pleased with the response, he patted her shoulder once with a responding smile. He turned to his wife, who began to tell the girls “You two don’t have to stay with us the rest of the day. Go out and have some fun!” The two couples bid their farewells and went on their ways.

“Thank God,” Yasuko sighed with relief. “In the past, my parents would want my date and I to spend a whole day with them. They must really like you!”

Noodle turned to her. “Is that a bad thing?” she asked, causing her girlfriend to dryly laugh. “Unfortunately, my dear mother is one of those ‘Helicopter Asian Parent’ stereotypes,” she continued. Noodle pursed her lips and gave her puppy dog eyes, causing Yasuko to softly hit her with her bag while laughing. “Don’t give me that look!” she said in an obviously mocking tone.

She gave Yasuko something else; a huge hug and a deep kiss. They were standing in the middle of the busy sidewalk, acting as if they were the only people there. Noodle’s kissing skills had improved tremendously. Thanks to her ever patient girlfriend, she had learned how to work her tongue into the mix, making for an intoxicating session. Noodle’s small and nimble hands worked their way up the back of Yasuko’s neck and to her thick curly hair, which was now cut much shorter than it was when the two of them met. When Yasuko broke the kiss for air, Noodle shot her the same look of fake offense she gave her just earlier. 

“Hey,” Yasuko began, “do you wanna do something wild tonight?” Noodle smirked, replying with “Sure thing, babygirl.”

Suddenly, Yasuko’s eyes got wide and her smile faded. Noodle could hear her breathing deepen and become heavier. She seemed to be focused on something Noodle couldn’t see while she began shaking. Noodle, fearing that something really bad was about to happen, put her hands to her cheeks and massaged them while repeating Yasuko’s name over and over again. Suddenly, her eyes blinked and Yasuko snapped back into reality.

Noodle’s face flushed with relief and she hugged the confused woman yet again. “God, Yasuko, I was so scared!” she said. “What happened? Was it something I said?” At this, Yasuko bit her bottom lip. “We should talk alone,” Yasuko said as she pulled her into the nearest shop, a rather crude looking nail parlor. When they were far away from management, Yasuko began her story.

“When I was younger,” she began, “I was walking home from school.” She seemingly lost her train of thought, because she went dead silent as she began to cry. Noodle wiped the tears from her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m here,” her girlfriend cooed. Yasuko nodded her head.

“But I was walking home from school when somebody,” she hesitated again, “somebody put a bag over my head and knocked me out.” She shuffled her feet, avoiding eye contact with Noodle. She continued the story “When I woke up, I didn’t-”

“Oh my fucking god, Yasuko,” Noodle suddenly said.

“What?” Yasuko replied.

Noodle’s look of concern suddenly turned to anger. But it wasn’t any kind of anger that Yasuko had ever seen on anyone’s face before. It was rage: pure, unadulterated, uncensored. “Who did that to you,” she practically growled out. Yasuko shook her head.

“If I don’t ever find him on this earth,” Noodle continued, “I hope he burns in hell as maggots feast off his skin and organs.”

“I never knew you could be that dark,” Yasuko said as she wiped tears from her eyes. Suddenly, the two girls embraced and cried on each other. Noodle left soft kisses along her neck as she said, “I’m sorry for calling you that. I had no idea that it affected you like that. I won’t ever call you that again.” Her girlfriend replied with a simple, “I know. I love you.”

“Come on,” Noodle said. “We can’t be all sad over people who don’t mean shit to us. Let’s go have some fun.” And with that, the two girls left the parlor and entered the sunset city.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle and Yasuko have a night on the town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you like artsy and non-descriptive sex scenes, this is the chapter for you. have fun!

There was a record store that Yasuko used to work at while still in high school. It was called World Records, and it carried all kinds of genres. Sure, the manager was a douchebag, but where else in Tokyo could you get rare American jazz albums? Perhaps even some good Ska? The point was that it was something that Yasuko loved, and she decided to take Noodle there. World Records had a large selection of alternative records, which the couple began sorting through. 

“So,” Noodle said as she examined a White Stripes record, “who exactly do you like?”

Yasuko scoffed. “I told you, I love LCD Soundsystem,” she replied a little nervously. It was obvious that she was hiding something.

Noodle wrapped her arms around Yasuko’s waist and began putting light kisses on her neck. “Come on, babe,” she said, “you don't have to be embarrassed.” Yasuko giggled, but immediately let her face fall as she noticed something on the shelf.

“I'll tell you someone I can't stand!” she exclaimed as she grabbed the record and showed it to Noodle. Oh shit.

It was a Demon Days record.

“God, these guys are so pretentious!” Yasuko said as Noodle continued to stare at the record. “The green guy especially is disgusting. How could they just exploit a little kid like they’re doing? So what if the boy is talented. He’s a child!”

Oh god. Did she really look like a boy when she was younger? This was one of Noodle’s many thoughts as she processed the fact that her girlfriend hated her own band. How will she try and explain this?

“Sorry, babe,” Yasuko sighed. “But do you really wanna know my favorite band? Of all time?” Noodle accepted her apology and nodded. The other woman said, “Alright I’ll tell you, but promise that you won't make fun of me.”

“I absolutely promise,” Noodle replied.

Yasuko did some nervous laughing before suddenly getting quiet. Then, in the smallest voice, she whispered, “Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.” Suddenly, Noodle was laughing, causing Yasuko to hit her arm with her purse.

“God! You said you wouldn't make fun of me!” she said. “I'm not making fun of you babe,” her girlfriend replied. “I think it's adorable! Come on, unless you’re getting anything, let's head out.”

There was a street party of sorts happening that night. Some street vendors were selling a new brand of alcohol. Despite their discussions about Noodle eventually drinking less, they both decided to have one last binge. The two of them both agreed that Noodle should go to counseling to prevent alcoholism. They walked down the sidewalk, slightly tipsy, when Noodle had an idea.

“Let's get tattoos!” she said enthusiastically. She pointed to a parlor that they happened to stumble across, and Yasuko immediately agreed. Normally, she would hesitate, but with a few drinks in her system, Yasuko was more than eager. “I just don’t want anything too obnoxious,” she said. With that, the two went in.

The rest of the time was a bit of a blur, but two things stuck out in particular: one, Yasuko wanted a tattoo of her favorite song and two, Noodle wanted something more special. Yasuko was yammering on to the artist about how Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were the best band in existence and that their music helped her so much. As the tattoo pen whirred along her hand, she kept breathing in and out, in and out. Thankfully, the alcohol dulled some of the pain associated with the tattoo. After it was done, Yasuko practically jumped out of the chair and ran to Noodle, excited to show off her new tattoo.

“Look at it, Noody!” she exclaimed, using the nickname she only used for Noodle when she was drunk. “Isn’t it so pretty?” she continued before she said, “it’s my favorite song! Listened to it a lot during therapy.” She continued waving her hand around while smiling maniacally. Who knew she was such a lightweight? Noodle eventually grabbed her hand to read it. Four distinct characters were drawn onto her skin, spelling out “I Won’t Back Down”. Just from the title alone, Noodle could understand the significance.

Next, it was her turn. If she was sober, Noodle probably wouldn’t have suggested this, for it was something that she still had nightmares about. Sure it might not have been as bad as it was lead to believe, but she traumatized everyone because of it. She needed a reminder, not for the pain she caused, but for the love she was given because of it.

“I need a tattoo of a floating lighthouse,” she blurted out. After drawing a quick sketch on a napkin, the artist approved and set to work. It really hurt; unlike Yasuko, Noodle was apparently more sensitive when intoxicated. After about an hour, the tattoo was done. Well, the outline at least. Noodle had opted out of coloring it in because she didn’t want to keep Yasuko waiting. The two paid for their tattoos and set off again into the night.

They soon found themselves at a rowdy gay bar called the Leo Lounge. Yasuko told Noodle that she had been here a couple of times with friends and found the staff incredibly welcoming. She certainly wasn’t wrong; the whole staff, from the bartenders to the drag performers to even the bouncers, were some of the most friendly she had ever encountered. They could care less that they were drunkenly grinding on each other on the edge of the bar, nor did any of the guests interfere when the two stumbled to the bathroom together.

The sudden increase of alcohol and the overall presence of sex in the atmosphere was too intoxicating to Noodle and Yasuko. The world outside of that little bathroom stall melted away as sweat, cum, and lipstick became the only things the two of them could focus on. It was sensory overload in every sense of the word, but of course the two of them didn’t care. Noodle was too busy focusing on how the beautiful specimen standing on top of her tasted like the Gods’ best wine, while Yasuko put all of her attention on how weak the woman underneath her sounded as she pulled on her hair. It didn’t take long for the both of them to finish forcefully and hard. Too exhausted to continue going, their backs slid down both walls of the stall and landed on the floor. While Noodle immediately passed out and began snoring, Yasuko felt like she should just go home. Leo Lounge was unfortunately quite a long way from her apartment, so she decided to contact a taxi. After cleaning herself up, she scribbled a note to Noodle on a piece of toilet paper.

“Call me later! Love you, Noody. Love, Yasuko!”

She left the bar and waited outside for her taxi. After about a minute and a half, it arrived. She greeted the driver, who didn’t say anything. Yasuko told the driver her address, but something bizarre happened; the driver began going in a completely different direction. When she tried to correct the driver, he turned around. His eyes were completely white with the tiniest black pupils. Yasuko began to freak out.

“Hey, hey, hey,” she began saying before the man waved his hand and hypnotized the panicky Yasuko to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the nice ominous chapter summary? Well, that's all you're going to be getting from me right now! Stay tuned...
> 
> (PS- brief descriptions of violence and a mention of r*pe)

Noodle woke up in the washroom stall with a pounding head and a nauseous pit in her stomach. Her eyelids were heavier than she had ever felt them before and overall, she just felt like total shit. She didn’t even have time to process her surroundings before she found herself lunging for the toilet and felt like she was vomiting out all of her organs. It was forceful, painful, and at the same time, so incredibly relieving. She certainly didn’t want to make it a habit, however.

She looked around and noticed something. A little piece of toilet paper that had some ink on it. Noodle picked it up and read the little note it contained. It was from Yasuko. She smiled; her handwriting was absolutely adorable. Noodle decided to call her to wish her a good morning. Unfortunately, it bizarrely went straight to voicemail. As she cleaned herself up, she decided that it was probably because Yasuko’s phone was dead. She remembered something real quick about her being on 20% battery or something like that.

 

**

Yasuko woke up in her bedroom eager and excited to begin the new day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the outside traffic was relatively calm. It was almost eerie, but perhaps this was an event that she shouldn't take for granted. She easily got dressed, got ready for the day, and headed out the door.

It wasn't until fifty feet from her apartment that she had no idea why she was outside. In fact, she didn't have any immediate memory at all. It was abnormal for her to have such a good morning. Well, it's probably for the best, she thought.

She stood outside of a small breakfast stand, waiting to get her food ordered. Yasuko felt particularly cold air hit her. It appeared as if nobody else in the rather long line had felt it, for the middle aged man gave her a stern look when she shivered. Eventually, Yasuko got her food and continued aimlessly walking. That's when she saw him. A pale man in a baseball cap and a green jacket. Bushy eyebrows. Crow’s feet. Cargo pants. 

It was him.

 

**

The streets were even busier than last night. It seemed like every person in Tokyo decided to walk to their destinations at the same exact time. Noodle, however, wasn't particularly complaining since she was small enough to squeeze through otherwise tight spaces in the crowd. It wasn't long before she arrived back at her apartment. Before walking into the building, she turned to look at Yasuko’s. She frowned, hoping nothing was wrong.

“Excuse me, madam!” she suddenly heard a shrill yet unmistakably male voice yell out.

Noodle turned around to face a small Japanese man in a business suit. He was carrying a flimsy piece of paper in his hand. “Yes, sir?” she asked.

“Do you know where this address is?” the man said as he held up his paper. “I was invited as a guest and I haven’t lived in Tokyo for years, so I forget where everything is,” he continued. Noodle read the paper. She knew where the thing was located, but something kept her from saying exactly where.

That's when the memories came.

Flashes of Mazuu, of death, of blood, of Yasuko, of everything leading up to this exact moment. She began breathing heavily, which caused the man she was trying to assist to worry. Without thinking twice about it, Noodle ran to the elevator, leaving the bewildered man behind in the lobby.

As the elevator went up, she sunk to the floor, visions impaling her mind. She thought about the leads, the sightings, the dead ends, the failures. But she continued to think deeper as a way of trying to stop these visions, and that's when she realized it; all the sightings and leads all came from the same area as the address listed. She wasn’t wrong, she was on the right track all this time. How could she be so dumb?

The flyer had listed the address as the venue of a costume casino party. This had to be where Mazuu was located. Immediately after entering her apartment, Noodle stormed to her closet and pulled out a long blue kimono, a mask, and some hairpieces. She developed a plan for the battle for the next five hours as a way to spend time beforehand. She threw up her hair and inserted the pieces in any available spot before putting on the rest of her outfit. Feeling unsatisfied, she grabbed a dark shade of red eyeliner from her makeup bag and drew a large spiral on the left side of her face.

She stared at herself in the mirror as she breathed deeply and processed what exactly was about to happen. Noodle was going to kill Mazuu.

**

Yasuko tried to act casually as she saw the man getting closer and closer. However, he suddenly appeared right behind her, blocking her mouth.

“Hello babygirl,” he cooed menacingly. Yasuko began to cry at the mention of that horrid name, causing the man to begin laughing. She saw people passing directly by them, not even paying attention to the events in progress. The young woman decided to bite the man’s hand in order to cause some kind of attention, causing him to release her as he yelled profanities. However, her plan on bringing attention failed miserably.

Apparently not done with Yasuko just yet, he cornered her and grabbed her throat. His grip on her throat made her feel dizzy and hurt. Tears welled in her eyes before the man threw her on the hard, uneven sidewalk.

Well, that's how it was supposed to be. This is because instead of the typical rough concrete she was used to, she was feeling a smooth bamboo floor plan. That's when she remembered the stall, the sex, the lunch, the girl. Noodle. That was when she remembered Noodle.

This wasn't reality. This was an illusion, and Noodle's existence would prove that. Yasuko just needed to find her.

Yasuko smirked at the man, her rapist. It would be a shame if he knew that she knew, right?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle and Yasuko face their biggest obstacles yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you, Kiki. Thank you for being the one I'm running with. This is for you

Despite the bizarre looks she got from her taxi driver, Noodle safely and discreetly entered the mysterious building. She was able to lockpick the back door to enter Mazuu’s not-so-discreet hideaway. She slipped inside quietly, hoping her katana wasn’t too obvious underneath her blue and intricately detailed kimono. 

Thankfully, she didn't appear to be too out of place. People attending the party looked similarly dressed, with masks and avant garde costumes emerging from all corners of the building. Some women even attended in nothing more than their lingerie, which Noodle caught herself staring at before she reminded herself not to get carried away. She did have Yasuko and her perky breasts to look forward to tonight after all. She giggled dryly. Wait, she had to focus!

“Miss Miyawaki,” a cold voice echoed. Noodle paused in her midst, trying to locate the source of the voice. It appeared that nobody else around her heard it. That could only mean one thing: Mazuu.

Noodle closed her eyes and concentrated. “What do you want, and why did you call me Miyawaki?” she asked in her head. A dark laugh entered her mind. “Oh, silly girl, always focusing too much on the details and not on the big picture,” Mazuu said. “Before the party truly gets underway, she must meet at last, but I insist you try and find me. Good luck,” he ended as he let Noodle roam the Demon Lounge.

**

“Why the hell are you laughing, you bitch?” the man yelled at Yasuko. He stormed over to her and grabbed her shirt collar, balling it up in his fist. His face was shocked with rage, but Yasuko didn't stop.

Instead, she stared into his eyes. “Don't you get it, Shiro?” she said slowly, “I would be terrified right around now. I would practically be cowering in fear. However, you died of a drug overdose two years ago, and this grass sure doesn't feel like grass.” She chuckled again, dryly saying, “you can't hurt me. You're not here,” she reached into her dangling purse and pulled out her apartment keys, “which means you can't feel this!”

Yasuko stabbed the key into Shiro’s neck. His eyes widened and he released her grip, causing her to fall. Shiro stood silently while a crack began forming in his neck. The crack spread throughout his body, eventually eclipsing the man with lines. 

“Tell that bitch Miha Miyawaki,” he shakingly said, “that he’s coming.” With that, the cracks finally broke. The pieces of Shiro’s body disappeared into the ground, leaving the key to clatter onto the floor. The scene began to crack as well; Yasuko had set off a chain reaction of events leading to the final dismantling of the illusion. It broke down just like Shiro did, with bits and pieces of the illusion cracking and breaking at different times. All she could do was sit in awe as the scenery broke down to reveal a dark room with a single lightbulb hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Suddenly, it was just her. 

**

Noodle would know when Mazuu was near. The demon kept taunting and teasing her, saying that she would never find him amongst that many people. Unfortunately, he had a point; the room was full of people, deities, and even animals. It certainly was an array of Japan’s most obscure and controversial. She was thankful that she had learned her lesson from the whole Plastic Beach fiasco and had eyeslits on the mask, because they helped a lot. Noodle learned this after she almost bumped into a man sitting at a casino table.

That’s when she realized what had just happened. The man’s eyes were vividly bright with small dark pupils. He was surrounded by bare women and gangly men. His smile was wide enough to encompass half of his face.

It was him.

**

Yasuko had never been in a situation that required her to manually pick a lock before. That is why she was having a particularly hard time with trying to get out of the room. She kept trying to unlock the door with her pinky finger, for that nail was the longest out of all her nails. All that did was break her nail and make her hand sore. 

She then had the idea of using her bobby pins. She had seen one of her old school friends use this trick while sneaking into the school lunchroom. Widening one of the pins, she was able to pick the lock before using her other pin to force the door open. It took her multiple failed attempts, but she eventually got it.

Now, onto the easy part: escaping.

**

Noodle couldn’t move. It wasn’t that she was nervous, but she physically couldn’t. Mazuu must’ve felt her realization. Fuck.

**

Escaping wasn’t as easy as Yasuko thought. The Lounge was like a labyrinth, with multiple hallways and doors leading to various different places. If it wasn’t for the rambunctious noise coming from the common area, she certainly would’ve been lost in this hell forever. 

** 

A shrill laughter unlike Noodle had ever heard erupted in her mind. It taunted, teased, and mocked her. She began crying. All this work, just for this to happen. Why did she even bother spending all that time tracking him down?

Her mind swam to the various memories she had throughout the years. Of her training. Of her escape. Of the band. Of Mr. Kyuzo. Of Plastic Beach. Of Chiyoko and her kindness. Of the months and years traveling all over Japan trying to find him. Of Yasuko.

Yasuko.

**  
Although the party would have surely drowned out any sound, Yasuko approached it cautiously and quietly. It was a bizarre sight indeed. However, she knew that she was not there to people watch. She was there to escape, and escape she found in a door right over by a girl with a katana and a blue kimono.

Wait.

A katana and a blue kimono?

**

Noodle’s eyes became blurrier as the tears began to cloud her vision. This was it. She was trying her best to absolutely no avail. 

She looked around. There was a fat Japanese businessman smoking a cigar, a walking panda bear, a dark skinned girl who looked terrified, a prostitute giving a Westerner a lap dance.

Wait.

A terrified girl?

**

That's when they both realized that they found each other.

As soon as the two women laid their eyes on each other in that demonic lounge, the entire world stopped. Smiles crept on both of their faces. However, Noodle’s joy didn't last long. She began to realize that Yasuko hadn’t been available after last night’s hookup. She wasn't answering her phone and none of her neighbors had seen her. Noodle felt anger and bitterness and rage full every inch of her body.

Before she knew it, she was halfway into Mazuu’s neck, causing the lounge to disrupt into total silence.

She didn't know when the spell had been broken, but she did know that Mazuu was staring at her, grin widening as he saw the sword in his throat. 

“You fucking monster,” she spat in his face.

Mazuu laughed, countering with “Look who is the one with a sword in a man’s neck.”

“You are no man to me,” she said as she raised her sword and finally dislodged the demon’s head from its body.

The room broke out into hysterics. Attendees were collapsing and convulsing, while others were simply terrified. Yasuko, however, was still standing silently near the entrance of the room. Noodle held out her hand as she began to walk over towards her slowly and reassuringly. She glanced around the room; the people convulsing had shimmering beings erupting from their mouths and dashing toward the body of Mazuu. These must have been the promises and gifts that the demon gave to his most loyal followers. However, Noodle could care less about them. Her focus was simply on the silent Yasuko.

“Hey,” she said as she disassembled her mask.

“Hey,” her girlfriend replied.

“We need to go,” Noodle said as she grabbed Yasuko’s hand and began to run. As they ran, Yasuko wondered why they didn't go through any of the doors. However, she quickly found out why.

Each door began to burst open violently. Giant sumo wrestlers emerged from the rooms, their eyes just as disturbing as Mazuu’s. These were no ordinary wrestlers, they were his servants. 

“BABE?” Yasuko yelled as they ran from the demons. “YOU KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING, RIGHT?”

“OF COURSE!” Noodle yelled as they hit a dead end. Turns out she didn't know where she was going. Great.

Yasuko was pissed off, but was too preoccupied on hearing the approaching wrestlers to yell at her. Instead, she found herself with her face being cupped in Noodle’s palms. “Now please trust me on this,” she said before grabbing Yasuko’s hand and yanking her into another room. Yasuko let out a small scream before she heard the door slam and lock. They were outside, but Yasuko barely had time to breathe before they started running again. 

“IN HERE!” Noodle yelled out as she ran into a convenience store. Yasuko followed suit, heading straight toward the washrooms. Once they knew they were alone, the two embraced passionately yet carefully. The kiss closely resembled their first one, but the moment didn't last long as Noodle broke away. “I'm not really in the mood right now babe,” she said as she rested her forehead on Yasuko's.

“Hey, hey, it's okay,” replied Yasuko. Noodle’s head slipped down to the crane of Yasuko’s neck, prompting the darker woman to begin undoing her girlfriend’s intricate hair styling. The woman's long black locks fell around her as if it was a curtain.

“Yasuko,” she muffled against her girlfriend’s neck, “there are some things I didn't tell you.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle makes a difficult decision

“Sorry for calling you a boy,” was the only thing Yasuko could say.

The two women were laying on the floor of the washroom. Yasuko was spooning Noodle, her chin placed firmly on her shoulder. Noodle was almost undressed, her kimono untied to reveal a white tank top and some shorts. 

“It's fine,” Noodle said. She adjusted her position so her and Yasuko’s noses touched and leaned in for another kiss. It was soft and careful, pacing herself. When they broke away, Yasuko was smiling despite tears forming in her eyes.

“You need to go,” she quietly said. Noodle’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean?” she replied with a shakiness in her voice.

“You need to go back to your family, Miha,” Yasuko replied. Noodle was confused by the name. Her girlfriend let out a sigh.

“When I was in that room in the Demon Lounge,” she began, “I was told to tell Miha Miyawaki that he's coming. I don't know who he is but after I thought about it, I think Shiro, the man who hurt me, was talking about you.”

Noodle thought about it. Even after the incident with Mr. Kyuzo, she didn’t know who she really was. Hell, she never even got a name. Miha Miyawaki could be the only solution, especially if Mazuu himself called her Miyazaki.

Mazuu.

Fuck.

Even though he was dead, his demon guard wrestlers were surely still after them. She couldn’t leave Yasuko, not with them on their trail. Noodle didn’t want Yasuko to be all alone, with potentially no protection. The thought sickened and hurt her. 

“Come with me,” she said bluntly, grabbing Yasuko’s arms. The other woman looked bewildered.

“What?” she asked. “No, I can’t. I can’t. I’m going to graduate school, I’m starting a job, and your family is more important than me.” Noodle could tell it hurt for her to say that, because she began crying profusely.

Noodle joined in the crying, shaking Yasuko as she choked yelling, “YOU ARE MY FAMILY, YASUKO!” before releasing her. The two women stared at each other with tears dripping down their faces. It was becoming increasingly clear to Noodle that Yasuko knew what she was trying to say. She was putting her own life and safety ahead of hers. That was something Noodle had rarely experienced outside of the band. She walked over and gave her a huge hug. She whispered, “I’ll do it,” into the crane of her neck. Yasuko slowly returned the hug, wrapping her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair.

“Do you have scissors by any chance?” she asked after a long silence.  
**   
Noodle felt a little embarrassed by her haircut, but at least Yasuko tried. On the bright side, she did look like her old self again, rather than the depressed geisha look she was sporting back in Tokyo. Yasuko was able to borrow a friend’s car, since their destination was far away from the city. The two sat in silence as Yasuko drove. They were all set up; in the back of the car laid a large box, some dried fish, a package of water, and a book. Noodle didn’t see what book it was, for she just randomly grabbed one as they left the store they were camping out at just hours earlier. She swore she felt the ground shake.

The couple pulled up to their destination, a slightly run-down shipping facility. They saw the cargo plane right behind the building. Yasuko grabbed Noodle’s hand, the ground vibrating softly once again. “Look at me,” she whispered softly, “it’s going to be okay.” She leaned in for a kiss, one which Noodle returned. It was salty, as Noodle hadn’t stopped crying just yet. They broke away so Yasuko could wipe away her tears. She smiled.

“Don’t worry, Noodle, I will never forget about you,” she said. “Not in a million years. I’ll contact you as much as I can, okay?” she asked. All Noodle could do was nod. Yasuko grabbed the box from the back and pulled a sharpie out from her purse. She handed it over to Noodle so she could write the address necessary. That’s when she saw them.

They were here.

Noodle saw the wrestlers hiding in the trees right across from the shipping facility. Yasuko saw panic reach across her face before she realized what her girlfriend was staring at.

“Noodle?” she asked.

Suddenly, the car was being spun around. 

The two women held onto the closest handles they could reach. After the force was stopped by a near violent crash into a lampost, Yasuko reached for the contents that had been thrown across the car.

“GET IN THE FUCKING BOX!” Yasuko yelled over the howl of the wrestlers. They were approaching and they needed to act fast if they were to get Noodle out safely. The other woman obliged and climbed in before reaching up toward Yasuko and giving her another kiss. 

“I love you, Yasuko Crawley,” she said.

“I love you too, Miha Noodle Miyawaki,” Yasuko said as she threw the other contents inside the box. She didn’t even bother locking the car as she carried the box to the shipping facility. The wrestlers were approaching the couple quickly, completely ignoring the car to the surprise of Yasuko. She didn’t have any more time. They were coming. Yasuko kissed the box and threw it in front of the facility, causing Noodle to once again fly violently. Yasuko ran back to her car and started it, racing off as the wrestlers ran angrily towards the car.

That was the last time Noodle had heard or seen Yasuko in three years.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noodle and Yasuko end their story where we began

Noodle decided not to tell the band about her name. She, and they, were too attached to the name “Noodle” for them to change it now. Nevertheless, the revelation haunted her. It opened up so many new questions that she hadn’t even considered thinking about. 

But it came at the expense of her loss of her beloved Yasuko. Yasuko Elizabeth Crawley, student at the University of Tokyo and lover of humanity. Yasuko Elizabeth Crawley, tori katsu connoisseur and cat person. Yasuko Elizabeth Crawley.

Although Noodle became incredibly busy with the new album and promotions, she never forgot about Yasuko. It became incredibly evident that she couldn’t stop thinking about her when Murdoc came up with an idea for a promotional shoot. Something about him resurrecting Elvis or whatever. However, the problem arose when they set up the scene. 

“Love! Love!” Murdoc yelled to Noodle as he threw on some fake doctor gear. She was busy putting pink extensions in her hair as she said, “Yeah?” In her mirror, she saw him run quickly to her. Following him was one of the interns he had hired last week to help with errands. He was rather muscular and had fake staples and stitches throughout his body. Since when did 2D get so good at prosthetics?

“Noodle, this is Jeremy,” he practically hissed. That sent a slight shiver down Noodle’s spine. Murdoc continued, “Thanks to the magic of photoshop, Jeremy here is gonna be our Elvis, and we’d like for you to kiss him.”

Uh oh.

However, being the supportive bandmate she was, she agreed. Murdoc could tell that something was up, though, for he shot back a questionable look. It wasn't one he gave often. 

The prep began for the shoot. Noodle was given her blocking; she was to embrace Jeremy-Elvis and to kiss him straight on the chompers. This was all fine. Totally fine! Not awkward in the least bit. However, as the shoot began, she couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t. They had to take the awkwardly arranged picture around fifteen times just so Noodle could even get close to Jeremy-Elvis’s lips. Once the photographer stopped due to exhaustion and irritation at Noodle, she quickly ran off to her dressing room. The band followed suit.

“‘Ello, Noodle?” 2D said as they entered her room. She was laying on an old couch, staring at the ceiling. She was fiddling her thumbs and looked deep in thought. The three men sat around her.

“Everything alright?” Russel asked, putting a hand on Noodle’s shoulder. She didn’t move.

“That was just a little uncomfortable, that’s all,” Noodle said. She sat up as if she had something to say. In fact, she did. She took a deep sigh and said, “There’s something I have to tell-”

Suddenly, Murdoc jumped up from his seat. “I knew it,” he said. “Knew what?” Noodle asked with an accusatory tone in her voice. That’s when her eyes widened and it dawned on her that Murdoc knew. That look he gave her earlier. It all made sense. 

Murdoc crossed his arms. “Why don’t you tell us, munchkin?” he asked right before Russel said, “Come on, Murdoc. Don’t pressure the girl.”

“Guys, what’s going on?” 2D asked.

“Nothing, faceache!” Murdoc spat at the blue haired man. This caused Russel to finally stand up and confront Murdoc. 

“How about you stop that, Muds?” he practically yelled.

Murdoc made an almost inhuman noise as he said, “Make me!” They began rapidly yelling insults at each other before a bellowing noise silenced them. It was from Noodle.

“I’M A LESBIAN,” she screamed, balling her fists at her hips. 

The room went silent. They all stared at Noodle, before Murdoc broke the silence with a “See what I was trying to help her say?” as they went right back to arguing as if nothing had happened. They didn’t need to say anything. Noodle knew it was alright.

**

The band could practically already read the good reviews of their Fuji Rock set. As Noodle walked back to their tour bus, she heard the familiar scream of rabid fans. She saw a few waiting right outside of the bus, blocking the entryway. One fan in particular, a Japanese fan in a homemade 2D costume, pointed at her, causing the rest of the fans to begin chasing her. Not a stranger to these instances, she broke out into a run towards the back of the bus. As she passed the port-a-potties, she felt something grab her shirt and pull her inside. She collided with somebody else as she yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK!” Noodle felt her back hit the wall as she came face to face to the person who pulled her inside.

Yasuko.

Suddenly, Noodle felt a wave of emotions crash over her. The first thing she did was lightly slap her, causing Yasuko to cry out in obviously exaggerated pain.

“Oooowie,” she mockingly said as she held her cheek in her hand. 

“Shut up,” Noodle replied as she reached for the door. Yasuko’s hand pulled her back.

“What the fuck do you want from me?” Noodle asked angrily. “You fucking left me at that station, never answered any of my texts or calls, nothing. Nothing! And now you’re suddenly willing to talk?”

Yasuko sighed and stared at her feet. Noodle’s only impulse was to grab her face so that they both were staring each other down. Realizing what she was doing, she released her grip and began to cry. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She lightly pushed Yasuko before collapsing on top of her, sobbing into her shirt. Noodle could feel Yasuko’s fingers gliding through her hair in an effort to calm her down.

“I’m sorry,” she choked. “I don’t know what got into me.”

“It’s fine,” Yasuko whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry for not calling or anything. Those fucking wrestler demons wrecked the car which still had your number in it. I couldn’t remember your number,” she continued. Noodle chuckled, saying softly, “You never could remember numbers.”

Noodle looked at Yasuko as the blonde began wiping her girlfriend’s tears. “When did you dye your hair?” she asked curiously. 

“Well, it’s not exactly a dye job,” Yasuko replied. She placed a hand on top of her head and pulled the hair up, revealing a shaven head. It was a wig! Noodle said, “Wow, that’s new!” Yasuko laughed and said, “Got tired of wrecking my hair with constant cuts and colors, so I decided to try out wigs instead. Needless to say, I like them a lot.” She was about to put it back on when Noodle grabbed her hand and shook her head. “Leave it off,” she said softly. Yasuko obliged and slowly put it on the floor. There really was no other place for her to leave it.

“I missed you so much,” Yasuko said softly as they leaned their foreheads together. 

“I missed you even more,” Noodle said. She separated their foreheads and slowly moved her head towards Yasuko’s lips. The kiss was slow at first, then became more and more fast. The two hadnt seen each other in three years; this was certainly overdue. Yasuko began taking off Noodle’s shirt before Noodle said something that stopped her in her tracks.

“Marry me.”

Yasuko’s hands were hanging lightly onto her shirt, her eyes becoming wide and watery.

“What did you just say?” she asked.

“I asked you to marry me, Yasuko,” Noodle said as she smiled. “You are the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. I haven’t stopped thinking of you since we separated. I want you, I NEED you. I even adopted a cat after you.”

At this, Yasuko was confused. “Wait, what?” she asked.

“Katsu,” Noodle replied with a chuckle. “For tori katsu. I remembered that it’s your favorite dish and-” she began as she was cut off by another short kiss.

“Of course I’ll marry you, Noodle,” she said after cutting away. “Of course, of course I will, Miha! Yes!” At this, Noodle herself began crying again. She looked around the port-a-potty for anything, then quickly ripped off some toilet paper. “What’s this?” Yasuko asked as Noodle rolled it thinly. She took her hand and began wrapping the paper around Yasuko’s ring finger, eliciting a small “Oh my fucking god” from the woman.

Noodle held up Yasuko’s newly wrapped hand. “This is just temporary until we get a real one, okay?” she asked. Yasuko nodded and gave her another quick kiss. As she pumped hand sanitizer to use for the cap of her wig, Noodle slowly opened the potty door. The fans were gone, probably out to either find the rest of the band or to go to a bar. Probably the latter. In any case, they were safe to come out without the risk of bombardment.

Yasuko was finished, the wig placed perfectly back on her head. Noodle grabbed her hand again and walked her out of the port-a-potty. “Come on,” Noodle said softly. “There are some people who I really want you to meet.” With that, Yasuko closed the door behind them and the two of them ran back to the bus. As they ran, Noodle suddenly remembered the LCD Soundsystem song Yasuko showed her that day at the park.

“Never change, never change, never change, never change. Never change, never change, never change. That’s just who I fell in love with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is. The end. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and read this fanfiction. I would love to give an additional thanks to Logan, Nienie, and Blacky for being my top supporters in this endeavor. I couldn't do it without you guys! As an Asian lesbian, I admire and love Noodle so so much. However, a major flaw I've noticed this phase (and in a little bit of phase three as well) is that she doesn't have any flaws or real backstory. It kinda sucks considering she's such a fascinating character. That's why I wrote this fic: to try and explain what happened with her in between tracking Mazuu while providing representation for qwoc like me who aren't represented in this fandom that often.
> 
> Well, that, and another reason.
> 
> Kiki, I wrote this for you. I wrote this because I wanted to talk to you and I didn't know exactly how. You are the Yasuko to my Noodle. I am so glad I met you, and I love you so incredibly much. More than I can even describe. Talking to you has made me such a better person and I am forever grateful that I made this for you. It's always been for you. I'm not sure when we'll meet, but when we do, will you marry me? You are the best, most wonderful, and most caring person I've ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you at my side, and I hope you feel the same about me. Remember, as long as there are stars above you, you'll never need to doubt it, I'll make you so sure about it, cause God only knows what I'd be without you.
> 
> With that, I must depart. Again, thank you so much for supporting this fic, and don't forget to follow me on the social medias listed below! Hope to see you guys again soon!

**Author's Note:**

> twitter: bilquisus  
> gorillaz tumblr: lgbtnoodle


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